Onam
is an annual ancient Harvest Festival in
the state of Kerala in India.
It falls on the 22nd nakshatra Thiruvonam in
the Malayalam Calandar month of Chingam, which in
Gregorian calendar overlaps with August–September.
According to legends, the
festival is celebrated to commemorate King of King Mahabali, whose spirit is said to visit
Kerala at the time of Onam.
Onam
is a major annual event for Malayali people in and outside Kerala.
It is a
harvest festival, one of three major annual Hindu celebrations along with
Vishnu and Thiruvathira, and it is observed with numerous festivities.
Onam celebrations include Vallam Kali (boat
races), Pulikali (tiger dances), Pookkalam (flower Rangoli ),
Onathappan (worship), Onam Kali, Tug of War, Thumbi Thullal (women's dance),
Kummattikali (mask dance),
Onathallu (martial arts), Onavillu (music),
Kazhchakkula (plantain offerings), Onapottan (costumes), Atthachamayam (folk
songs and dance), and other celebrations.
Onam
is the official state festival of Kerala with public holidays that start four
days from Uthradom (Onam eve).
Major festivities take places across 30 venues in Thiruvananthapuram, capital of Kerala.
It is also celebrated by Malayali diaspora around the world.
Though a Hindu festival, non-Hindu communities
of Kerala participate in Onam celebrations considering it as a cultural
festival.
Onam
is an ancient Hindu festival of Kerala that celebrates rice harvest.
The significance of the festival is in Hindu legends, of
which two are more common.
The story behind Onam
-
According
to the Hindu mythology, Mahabali was the
great- great-grandson of a Brahmin sage named
Kashyapa.
The great-grandson of demonic dictator, Hiranyakashipu, and
the grandson of Vishnu devotee Prahlada.
This links the festival to the Puranic mythology of
Prahlada in Hinduism, who was the son of
Hiranyakashipu.
Prahlada's
grandson, Mahabali, came to power by defeating the gods (devas) and taking over
the three worlds.
According to Vaishnavism mythology
and story in Vishnu Purana, the defeated Devas approached Vishnu for help in
their battle with Mahabali.
Vishnu
refused to join the gods in violence against Mahabali, because Mahabali was a
good ruler and his own devotee.
He, instead, decided to test Mahabali's
devotion at an opportune moment.
Mahabali, after his victory over the gods,
declared that he would perform a Yajana ( homa
sacrififices/rituals) and grant
anyone any request during the Yajna.
Vishnu took the Avatara
(reincarnation) of a dwarf boy called Vamana
and approached Mahabali.
The king offered anything to the boy – gold, cows,
elephants, villages, food, whatever he wished.
The boy said that one must not
seek more than one needs, and all he needed was "three paces of
land." Mahabali agreed.
Vamana
grew to an enormous size, and covered everything Mahabali ruled over in just
two paces.
For the third pace, Mahabali offered his head for Vishnu to step on,
an act that Vishnu accepted as evidence of Mahabali's devotion.
Vishnu granted him a boon, by which Mahabali could visit
again, once every year, the lands and people he previously ruled.
This revisit
marks the festival of Onam, as a reminder of the virtuous rule and his humility
in keeping his promise before Vishnu.
The last day of Mahabali's stay is
remembered with a nine-course vegetarian Onasadya feast.
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